Disconnecting device for weft thread inserters



Feb. 10, 1970 R. BAI+AGUER GOLOBART 3,

DISCONNECTING DEVICE FOR WEFT THREAD INSERTERS Filed March 14. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 10, 1970 R. BAlyAGUER GOLOBART DISCONNECTING DEVICE FOR WEFT THREAD INSERTERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14. 1968 (69 g IM 10, 1970 (R. BALAGUER GOLOBART 3,494,383

DISCONNECTING DEVICE FOR WEFT THREAD INSERTERS med larch 14, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet s United States Patent Int. Cl. D03d 47720,- D03c 13/00 US. Cl. 13920 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In shuttleless looms where the weft thread is drawn through two sheds and a third shed is produced, the operation of the weft inserting elements, on a thread breakage, is automatically discontinued by a device which comprises, on a common shaft, an axially displaceable support for the weft inserters, a tractor member reciprocated by the action of the loom, means on said support coupling it to the tractor member for normal operation of the loom, and means suitable to disengage said coupling means; a solenoid, when energized on breakage of the weft yarn, actuates the disengaging means.

The present invention relates to improvements in looms. More particularly, it relates to looms producing velvet fabrics and having two rigid parallel inserting elements which are provided at the thread pick-up end with a pincer for pulling the weft thread coming from stationary bobbins placed at one side of the loom, and drawing it through two sheds, and in which a third shed is produced either by the action of dobbies or by the action of the known Jacquard dobbies.

In such looms, the interruption of their operation due to weft thread breakage produces serious difiiculties with respect to the repair or replacement of the thread, because it is necessary to extract the broken weft thread and also to do some unweaving, which is performed by making the loom operate in reverse at intervals.

This operation is very tedious and causes great loss of time, and although on looms of the conventional type and of the shuttle-less type means are known for unweaving which, when a break occurs in the weft thread, render the movement of the lay or the movement of the heddles independent, such means resolve no more than part of said difficulties, because if a weft thread breaks and it is desired to unweave by reversing the movement of the loom, the inserters would be seized by the warp threads in the sheds. In itself this would not be so very important if a simple fabric were involved and if, in addition to keeping the weft thread inserter out of the shed, the harnesses and the lay were disconnected. However, if it should be a question of unweaving the fabrics in a loom that is producing two parallel fabrics at once or unweaving in a loom that is producing velvet, and having two rigid inserters passing through two sheds which, under the control of the dobby or of the known Jacquard dobbies, form a third shed, the employment of the known mechanico-manual means for extracting the inserters from the sheds and disconnecting them from the drive would entail the loss of much time, as well as the unweaving that would be necessary before starting the loom up again.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide means which produce the instantaneous disconnection of the weft thread inserting elements upon the breakage of the weft thread, and thereby avoid the recited difficulties.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and claims.

3,494,383 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 The weft inserting elements are the main cause of the trouble that would be caused in unweaving the fabric, since it is necessary to reverse the operation of the loom for a small number of picks with the sheds completely free and without interference from the weft thread inserting elements.

With the devices that is the object of the present invention, when the weft thread breaks or runs out, the weft thread inserters are automatically disconnected at the end of their stroke outside of the sheds, and are entirely free of all the other moving elements composing the loom, such as harnesses, lay, winder, etc., during the unweaving process, so that the troubles mentioned above are eliminated.

The device of the present invention is applied at the point where the weft thread inserting element or elements are driven, which is situated at the extremity opposite that on which the weft thread seizing pincer is mounted. This device forms an integral part of the support of the inserting element or elements and travels back and forth with them during the weft thread insertion cycle. If in this travel a weft thread should break or if trouble should occur in the unwinding of the fixed weft bobbin, when the weft thread inserting element or elements reach their limit of travel outside of the shed, a weft thread stop motion operates a solenoid in such a manner as to produce solely and exclusively the disengagement and stopping of the weft thread inserting elements.

The device according to the invention is composed of a tractor member in connection with another member that supports the weft thread inserting element or elements. Said two members form a unit and perform a sliding movement on a fixed bar, for the purpose of introducing said weft thread inserting elements through the sheds in order to pick up the weft threads.

Said members, which form a unit and slide on a fixed bar, encompass almost completely said bar except at the bottom so as to be able to pass freely without interference from the supports of the fixed bar.

While the weft thread remains unbroken, the member supporting the inserting element or elements is joined together with the other tractor member and follows its normal cycle of production of the fabric, but if for any reason a break or failure of the weft thread should occur in one or both sheds, when the member supporting the weft thread inserters reaches the end of its travel, all the way outside of the sheds, a weft stop motion connected to an electrical solenoid automatically produces the disconnection of the member supporting the weft thread inserters from the traction member, the inserter remaining entirely stopped. The loom can then be reversed for the number of picks necessary for unweaving, without interference from the weft inserters which remain entirely inactive outside of the sheds. When the cause of the stoppage of the loom has been eliminated, the inserter supporting member is automatically reconnected to the tractor member, and the normal operation of the loom is resumed.

For better understanding of the invention, and embodiment thereof is described herewith by way of a non-limitative example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the automatic inserter disconnecting system with the two members connected together in normal operation of moving to the position wherein the inserting elements are at the maximum travel out of the shed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the automatic inserter disconnecting system at the moment of commencement of the disconnection of the two members as a result of the breaking of a weft thread;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the automatic inserter disconnecting system after the two members have been disconnected and the tractor member has begun to run so as to perform the unweaving, the inserting element support member remaining in a static position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the automatic inserter disconnecting system after the weft thread has been repaired, the connecting means now acting to place the inserting element supporting member in a position of waiting for the tractor member;

FIG. is a frontal diagrammatic view of the automatic insert disconnecting system applied to a loom, showing the electromechanical disconnecting system in the normal operation of the loom, and showing how the weft threads are pulled by the inserters, and

FIG. 6 is a frontal diagrammatic view of the automatic insert disconnecting system applied to a loom, showing the electromechanical disconnecting system in the case of the breakage of a weft thread, and showing the inserting elements disconnected from their drive.

In the drawings, 1 is the tractor member from which projects laterally the lugs 2 and 3 pierced by a pivot 4, and which is driven by a lever 5 connected to any means for the transmission of a reciprocating movement.

The said tractor member slides on a fixed bar 6 supported on supports 7 afllxed to bed 8 of the loom, and at one extremity 9 of this tractor member 1 there are created fiat-bottomed recesses 10, only one of which is visible, above which project straight lugs 11 and 12. In said recesses 10, defined by the straight lugs 11 and 12, are lodged the elongated dogs 13, only one being visible, which are hinged with pin 14 and lugs 15 and 16 (those correspond-in g to the side represented in the drawings being visible) of the member 17 which supports the inserting elements 18 and 19.

On the upper part of this supporting member 17, there are two lugs 20, only one of which is visible, and which are traversed by a pivot pin 21 on which there is pivoted a lever 22 having two arms 23 and 24. The front arm 24 is composed of two Wings 25 and 26 whose ends 46 and 47 are bent at an obtuse angle and introduced into respective slots 27, only one of them visible, in the corresponding dogs 13 hinged on pins 14. Furthermore, catch hooks 28 and 29 extend from wings 25 and 26, respectively, of arm 24 of lever 22.

At the upper part of lever 22 projects a lug 30 for holding one end of a tension coil spring 31 whose other end is fastened to the base 32 of the support 33 of the inserting elements 18 and 19.

On the same fixed bar 6 of the loom, a disconnecting member 35 is held in stationary position by a clamp screw 34, said disconnecting member being composed of a block having two vertical walls 36 and 37 traversed by a shaft 38 on whose end (not visible) projecting from wall 37 there is provided a lever 39 affixed to pin 38 and articulated to rod 40 coming from the drive that is connected to solenoid 41, which in turn is electrically connected to the weft stop motions 42 and 43. A lever 44 affixed to shaft 38 is mounted between walls 36 and 37 of body 35. A ring 45 of rubber or other appropriate material is provided on bar 6 in contact with the said disconnecting member, and serves as a stop for tractor member 1.

The operation of the device is as follows:

In the normal operation of the loom, the tractor member 1 and member 17 supporting the inserting elements 18 and 19 form a unit, as can be seen in FIG. 1. The bent ends 46 and 47 of Wings 25 and 26 of arm 24 of lever 22 are fully inserted into slots 27 of the elongated and opposed dogs 13 by the action of the tension coil spring 31; this forces the said dogs 13 to enter into recesses and keep members 1 and 17 united to form a single assembly which slides on the fixer bar 6 in a reciprocating movement under the action of lever 5 in step with the passage of the inserting elements 18 and 19 through the two sheds 48 and 49.

During the normal operation of the loom, upon each stroke of the unit formed by the two members 1 and 17 sliding on fixed bar 6, the end 50 of the arm 23 of the lever 22 freely enters between the two walls 36 and 37 of member 35 without any interference. But if for any reason a break should occur in one of the weft threads 51 or 52, or the supply bobbins 53 or 54 should run out of thread (FIG. 6), one of the weft stop motions 42 or 43, which are connected in series, will cause the closing of a contact 55 causing the current coming from cable 56 to pass to cable 57 and to solenoid 41, which is grounded by cable 58, and this will cause the rod 40 to rise and operate the lever 39, thereby causing the lever 44 situated between the walls 36 and 37 of member 35 to turn downward.

When the unit formed by the tractor member 1 and the supporting member 17 approaches block 35, the end 50 of the arm 23 of the lever 22 makes sliding contact with the lever 44, FIG. 2, tilts downward and remains depressed in this position, thereby causing the other part of the arm 24 to swing upward, overcoming the resistance of the spring 31; as a result, when the wings 25 and 26 with their ends 46 and 47 bent at an obtuse angle slide through the grooves '27 of the hinge-like dogs 13, said dogs 13 are obliged to open, disengaging themselves from the recesses 10 and the straight lugs 11 and 12, and therefore from the tractor member 1. Thus, the supporting member 17 remains isolated from the tractor mem her 1 (FIG. 3), and from all of the movable components of the loom. The loom can then be operated in reverse at will to perform the unweaving, without interference from the elements 18 and 19 which insert the weft threads 51 and 52 into the sheds 48 and 49.

Once the unweaving has been performed and the weft thread has been replaced, the corresponding weft stop motion 42 or 43 again opens the contact 55 interrupting the passage of current through cable 57 to solenoid 41, urging the rod 40 and the lever 39 to descend, and thus to raise the lever 44. At the same time, the action of the spring 31 of the supporting member 17 will cause the two wings 25 and 26 to descend so that the ends 46 and 47 will urge the dogs 13 to close by the movement of said ends in slots 27, as it can be seen in FIG. 4.

Once this operation has been completed and the tractor element 1 has contacted the supporting member 17, which is retained by the stop constituted by the ring 45, the projections 11 and 12 of the tractor element 1 encounter the catch hooks 28 and 29 of the supporting member 17 producing the elevation of wings 25 and 26 which results in the wedging action of its bent ends 46 and 47 in the slots 27 of the dogs 13. This wedging action again causes said dogs 13 to open; as the tractor element 1 continues to advance and the catch hooks 28 and 29 pass over the projections 11 and 12, said dogs close again instantaneously into the recesses 10 as a. result of the pull of the spring 31, so that the tractor element 1 and the supporting element 17 are again coupled together and form a unit.

At this moment the loom commences its normal working cycle, during which the tractor element 1 together with the element 17 supporting the elements 18 and 19 for the insertion of the Weft threads 51 and 52 is displaced in a reciprocating movement along the fixed bar 6 in order to introduce the inserting elements 18 and 19 through the sheds 48 and 49 to seize the weft threads 51 and 52 which will be beaten up by the reed 61 of lay 62.

I claim:

1. A disconnecting device for the weft thread inserters of shuttleless looms comprising two rigid parallel weft thread inserters, a shaft, a body axially displaceable on said shaft and supporting said inserters, a tractor memher mounted for reciprocating movement on said shaft, coupling means connecting said member and body for normal operation of the weft inserters and disconnecting said member and body when the weft insertion is to be stopped, means actuating said coupling means for disconnection, and solenoid means controlling said actuating means, said solenoid means being electrically connected with a weft stop motion.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tractor member is provided with recesses and wherein said coupling means is arranged on said supporting body and comprises means releasingly engaging said recesses, a two armed lever, one arm of said lever being adapted for actuation by said solenoid means, the other arm controlling said engaging means, and spring means holding said engaging means in engaged position, said one lever arm when actuated causing disengagement of said engaging means.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said actuating means comprises two vertical walls, a rotatable pin traversing said Wall's, one end of said pin projecting from one of said walls, a rod connected to said projecting end and turning said pin when actuated by said solenoid means, and lever means fixed to said pin between said walls and actuating said one arm of said two-armed lever so as to disengage said engaging means, said one lever arm passing freely between said walls when said rod is not actuated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,399,700 9/1968 Crenshaw et al 139-123 HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 139123 

